I just read an Newsweek article from 2004 called Dealing With Depression. I could not believe my eyes. It described MIT’s policy against admitting students who have even a hint of needing emotional support.
MIT Admissions Dean Marilee Jones says she’s looking to enroll “emotionally resilient” students. “If we think someone will crumble the first time they do poorly on a test, we’re not going to admit them,” she says. “So many kids are coming in, feeling the need to be perfect, and so many kids are medicated now. If you need a lot of phar-maceutical support to get through the day, you’re not a good match for a place like MIT.”
This is absolutely outrageous. Instead of providing the resources for qualified students who have some indication that they might need emotional support they have opted to deny them admission.
The article is about the overall problem of mental illness on college campuses; how there are 1100 students who commit suicide every year; 40% of the student population had at least one depressive episode which made it difficult to function and 30% have anxiety disorder or depression.
Some other institutions are trying to accommodate students who have depression, bipolar or anxiety by taking some of the follow steps.
- Implementing a 24 hour wellness hot-line
- Soliciting information from students with special needs such as taking medication or seeing a therapist
- Scheduling one on one appointments between therapist and student at their dorm
- Having a psychiatrist on staff
The Newsweek article also has some news about the types of support that some students with depression and other problems are receiving in high school.
As for M.I.T., they have chosen to eliminate the problem rather than address it. I believe that their admission policy is an abomination. I’ve written to M.I.T. to see if this policy is still in place.
Update after the initial post, I found the Dean of Admissions disavowed the quote. She was subsequently removed from her post because she lied on her resume.
